eightk

Dubai is one destination. I’ve just posted on the RX forum as Essex police have just found another 3 RX in a shipping container. Re post above no, no key is needed. Canbus injection unlocks and allows the car to be started irrespective of key signal access.

Essex police have found another three cars booked for a nice (permanent) holiday in Dubai…

Our local dealer had a green demo hybrid with tan interior - fantastic colour scheme but we don’t get enough of the sunny weather it really deserves. Problem with the LC500 and forums is there’s literally nothing to argue about. Nobody really modifies them, and nothing ever goes wrong. There’s the odd flurry of activity when someone’s centre console latch breaks but honestly that’s kind of it for discussions. I quite like it. After TVR and Maserati forums it’s quite refreshing and very relaxing. What phone cradle? Mmmm, much prefer that to ‘my engine seized. Again.’, ‘What tywraps for the exhaust’ or ‘I can get my fist through my front subframe.’. Everything about my car is just fine. But it does need servicing… my first time… I need to book that in.

Hang on a minute! It’s not 2024 yet!

An entertaining read! I’d be tempted to do one end at a time with axle stands - I’ve never trusted a car on four stands, it never looks very stable although you’re not spannering, just spraying I suppose. I may have dinitrol’d a Landcruiser on the road outside our house rather than risk my drive getting damaged. Nearly 5 years later and the stains have almost gone…

The ‘transferability’ is a good question actually - I’d think if it had been serviced it’d get 12 months warranty irrespective of ownership changes? Mine hasn’t been serviced since I bought it and I’d be seriously pee’d off if it wasn’t covered.

Yep. These aren’t cars stolen for getaway use or spares. Straight into a shipping container for sale abroad is the usual method.

Ha! Good news. Persistence pays off!

What you want for road safety is not a car that’ll panic brake at loose Tesco bags and force you back onto the motorway you just left. Our Honda does this and it’s downright dangerous. Previously had a VW and the close rear end shaves (fnarr) we had with that slamming the brakes on by itself were terrifying. Seeing a van sliding towards you in your mirrors with all four wheels locked up while your car is still deciding if it’s safe to get going again is not a safety system I want to use again. The lane keep and panic braking should be switchable, and stay where you left it, simple as that. For safety.

I’m 100% a Waze convert now. Yes it’ll take you on an odd route to save 0.00007 seconds sometimes but the real time plod alert is ace. I had Waze running in my Lexus when I was showing the car off to a passenger - “police spotted ahead” alert came up and it was a real life genuine speed trap ahead. Passenger instantly converted to a Waze fan! Google is just as good I think, but apparently uses more data - anything that’s running real time traffic and info is a game changer.

What an EV needs is accuracy - when you start a journey you need to know it’s estimating your remaining range correctly. I haven’t driven a Lexus/Toyota EV but Hyundai/Kia are very accurate with their onboard guesswork, whereas Tesla wasn’t as good by a long way. Literally. Add in the slow 80-100% charging times I experienced and the 10-20% you ideally need to keep in reserve at the empty end of the battery and you’re left with 70% of usable capacity at best with a Tesla on a long trip. Then assume you’re just using superchargers because they’re the only ones guaranteed to work and a long trip is strung between wherever the superchargers have been positioned, or it was pre 2022 before I went back to petrol for long journeys.

Yeah you’re probably right - his profile shows a 2024 model. But here’s hoping!

Gazetta - rather than publicise anything useful to thieves if your dealer ‘has taken steps to prevent wheel arch attacks’ it may be useful to name them here, then other owners can at least refer their own dealers to yours for advice. Here’s hoping they can use those same methods on my LC!

As with the RX, UX, NX, LS and LC it’s just not good enough. Lexus should do a recall on all affected cars. There is no point fitting immobilisers and steering locks at owners cost when thieves will still try and steal the cars. Steel plates or a revised canbus system or a free immobiliser - whatever it takes. The thought of Lexus ending up with the same reputation as Land Rover doesn’t bear thinking about.

I’d be asking Lexus why their £100,000 sports car needs an oil flush that’d potentially disturb bits of crap and block things up, or fuel injector cleaner that should be part of the service schedule if it’s genuinely needed, or an aircon regas on a car that’s under warranty. Meh.

Problem a non-main-dealer has from what I was told is that they can’t get stuff fixed under warranty - my Tesla came with a broken drivers door handle for exactly that reason. Loose LC seat, new door seal and a handle would all be dead easy under warranty, but as a new car purchasing experience it’d put me off a bit too, unless it was substantially cheaper than it’s been advertised at up to this point. Who knows, it might reappear yet again…

Ah, ok you mean the completely new multi spoke design - scrub the used wheels idea then, unless you can find some in Japan as above - a bit risky for me but it could work. I’d agree they’ll be a pain to clean but green over tan with those wheels would look lovely - completely agree - green needs a light silver or grey, not solid black with little chunks of chrome!

An official Lexus recall for every affected car to have the plates fitted F.O.C would stop thefts, stop damage from failed thefts and theoretically reduce premiums within months of the recall being completed…

Completely agree - immobiliser or canbus protection plate are hidden, so the thief will only realise he can’t use canbus injection after the damage has been done. Now if Lexus reconfirmed their legendary customer care and issued a recall to fit plates to EVERY SINGLE affected Lexus we wouldn’t have a problem…

I’m 100% with you on that. The new reversed wheels look crap - I reconfirmed my opinion last night watching YouTube. No idea what Lexus were thinking!

No, your front wing/wheel arch liner/headlamp would still be ripped to bits. It’s only after they’ve accessed the wheelarch and tried to plug in their electronics that they’d realise the car has a cover plate, or an immobiliser, Ghost etc.

I’d guess the UX has the same canbus weakness as the RX, LC, NX and others. After less than 30 seconds rooting around the headlight ecu in the wheel arch behind the wheel arch liner your car is gone. The RX has shot into the top ten most stolen cars in the UK within 18 months, the RAV4 (same canbus system) is top of the hotlist in France/Paris and my LC would also be at risk if it wasn’t for the immobiliser I’ve had fitted. Adding additional security is a matter of urgency, particularly if you live near London or other major cities.

I’d bet someone put a low offer in on the yellow one and the dealer snatched their hands off. Still not hitting mid 40s advertised prices yet, but getting closer…

Honda E has very similar handles - warranty claim of £650-odd to replace that.

https://evfleetworld.co.uk/hybrid-lexus-rx-450h-now-uks-second-most-stolen-and-recovered-vehicle-says-tracker/ Not bad going considering it only entered the top ten last year 😐 Lexus you need to get this sorted.